The present invention relates to a method for removing a polymer film from a floor surface. In particular, the invention relates to a method for stripping the polymer film from the floor surface, wherein a stripper formulation containing a solvent is applied. The invention also relates to a machine especially adapted for carrying out the method of the invention.
Floor cleaning processes are well-known in the art. Some floor surfaces additionally need protection in order to facilitate the cleaning thereof, to avoid or diminish wear and for aesthetical reasons. Such protection can be obtained by applying to said floor surfaces soap-based products, wax-based products or polymer-based products. Polymer-based products which generally offer the best protection, are usually polymer dispersions comprising polymer, wax, alkaline soluble resin, plasticizer and water.
Polymer dispersions are applied onto the floor surface in the form of a thin polymer film, for instance a thin acrylate polymer film. This type of film is usually hard, transparent and resistant to wear. However, even durable polymer films are susceptible to attrition. Therefore, several products are commercially available for the maintenance of floor polymer films, the main constituent of said maintenance products being generally wax. When maintaining the floor polymer film, said wax is polished onto the surface thereof using a floor polishing machine. However, wear of the polymer is not significantly reduced by applying this method, and replacement of the polymer film will be needed after a certain period of use.
At present, replacement of polymer films is generally carried out using a floor stripping solution containing a solvent, such as a glycolether or a diglycolether, and an amine as a sequestering agent. In the usually applied known stripping method of the prior art, floor polymer films are generally removed from the floor surface using a single disc machine, by carrying out the following steps:
applying a dilute floor stripping solution to the floor surface, preferably using a stripping formulation/water ratio of 1:10
waiting a time period of 10-20 minutes for allowing said dilute solution to act with the polymer film:
scrubbing the floor surface using an abrasive pad mounted on a single disc machine;
vacuum cleaning the thus-formed sludge;
rinsing the floor surface with water; and
again vacuum cleaning the floor surface.
We found that this known method for stripping a polymer film from a floor surface entails several problems, including the following:
during each of the various process steps of this known method several process variables need to be adjusted. Consequently, the customer can easily apply an inadequate process condition, which may lead to poor overall performance;
in view of this, the controllability of this known method is far from optimal;
a considerable amount of time is needed for fully carrying out this stripping method of the prior art;
this method may be hazardous, because of the slippery floor surface obtained after applying the dilute stripping solution.
It was surprisingly found that these problems could be overcome, by applying the stripping method according to the present invention.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides a method for stripping a polymer film from a floor surface, comprising the steps of:
(a) applying a concentrated alkaline stripper solution including a solvent, to the polymer film;
(b) allowing this concentrated alkaline solution to chemically act on the polymer film during a contact time of at least 5 seconds;
(c) scrubbing the polymer film with a scrubbing device while diluting the concentrated alkaline solution with water, so as to obtain a sludge;
(d) vacuum cleaning the floor surface by suction of the sludge,
whereby this method is carried out using one floor treating machine.
Preferably, in step (c) the chemical action takes place during an undisturbed contact time of at least 5 seconds. In another aspect, the invention provides a floor treating machine adapted for carrying out the method of the invention, said machine comprising:
a container containing the concentrated alkaline stripper solution;
means for applying this concentrated solution to the polymer film;
a scrubbing device;
means for applying water of dilution to the floor surface during scrubbing; and
a vacuumcleaning device.